A Child's Message
by Sy Druid
Summary: Through difficulties, and despite many arguements, Merlin manages to get the Radiant Garden crew up to clean the libraries. As they work and dust away, Yuffie encounters a myterious child who has something special to share with the great ninja. Oneshot.


Disclaimer: I don't own anything, everyone knows that.

**A/N: Really random little one-shot, but I really enjoyed writing it. I know it may not follow with the entire storyline, but I can see it working in my head. No pairings, a bit of humor, and little sadness thrown in. Enjoy. **

**A Child's Message  
**

It wasn't the typical Saturday morning everyone was used to, what with Merlin waking everyone up at the break of dawn in hopes of having them help him clean the libraries of Radiant Garden. Everyone gave the aging wizard the same, annoyed grunt as they tossed in their beds, hoping that he would simply give up and head on towards the castle on his own. But with a little persuasion, or more precisely, a low-level thunder spell had everyone in the kitchen eating breakfast and taking a more than brief shower. Yuffie, clearly being the most tired of the group watched as Cid argued with Merlin about how he had other more important things to do than clean a "damn old library".

"Don't you dare talk to me in that tone Cid Highwind. The libraries have not been used in ages and lord knows what old magic could still be hiding in the pages of those books. I need everyone to give me a hand, you included."

Cid gave a snort, "I've got the ships to look over, that's more important than some ruddy books."

If Yuffie didn't know any better, Merlin's beard appeared to curl in frustration and anger towards the blonde pilot. Plunging a spoon into her bowl of cereal, the great ninja simply ate as the two battled it out with a series of not so pretty words. It carried on well until the sun was sitting comfortably overhead and the birds were singing their songs. At one point Aerith and her caring smiles managed to bring the hostility down, with Cid agreeing to help on the condition that he not have to talk to Merlin the entire time they worked.

"Fine with me," the wizard huffed, "just don't come running to me when something pops out at you."

"Why you senile old--"

"Enough."

They all turned to see Leon at the front door, his arms crossed and his eyes giving everyone a steady glare. "Merlin, the sooner we head to the libraries, the sooner we can all move on with our lives. So, act your age and let's go."

Yuffie placed a hand over her mouth to stifle the giggles. That was the first time she had ever heard Leon talk Merlin down. Removing her empty bowl from the kitchen table and placing it in the sink, Yuffie was eagerly at Leon's side baring a toothy grin at him.

"I'm ready Leon, let's get going."

With a nod of his head Leon lead the small group consisting of Yuffie, Merlin, Cid, Aerith, and a very sleep deprived Cloud. The spiky blonde haired man couldn't understand why he couldn't stay behind. It wasn't like they didn't have enough people already. But nevertheless, the group made their way up the dilapidated paths to a set of large double doors that none had entered through in well over a year. More correctly, since Sora's last visit to seal the keyhole deep within the structure.

"Should we expect any Heartless within the castle?" Yuffie asked to nobody in particular, her hands feeling the pointy tips of her shuriken. "If there are leave them all to me, the great ninja Yuffie."

"Quit yer braggin' squirt," Cid muttered, his arm pushing the petite girl aside.

She was about to go all martial arts on his ass, but a hand held her by the collar, leaving her helpless. Peeking over her shoulder, she could see the brunet holding her hostage.

"You can let go now Leon, I promise I won't hurt the old brute."

"What the hell did you say?"

"Must we all act like children?"

Aerith's words silenced everyone as Merlin walked up to the doors and placed a hand against the cold material. Immediately, and with several creaks and groans, the doors flung open to reveal a musky room. They all moved inside, their eyes falling on the unlit candles dotting the circular room. With a flick of his hand Merlin set the candles blazing, casting an eerie glow on the floor and giving the statues a threatening look. The fountain lay lifeless, with whatever water once flowing through its fixtures now dry and dusty.

"Geez, maybe we should have paid a little more attention to this place," Yuffie said scrunching her nose. "So, Merlin, it was your idea, lead us to the library."

Not having to be told twice, Merlin led the group up the stairs and around the circular hall to a wooden brown door. Pushing it open, and being met with more creaks, the group was met with the monstrous library.

"Hmm, looks big, but it's nothing like the one at the Beast's Castle," Merlin muttered to himself.

Aerith blinked a few times, "Did you say something Merlin?"

"No, no," he said with a chuckle, "Just talking to myself."

"The old crone is going senile," Cid half-whispered, doing it on purpose as to further aggravate the blue robed wizard.

A thunder spell and yelp later, Merlin was smiling smugly to himself as Cid rubbed his behind and cursing loudly.

"How is it that they haven't killed each other yet?" Cloud asked as Aerith led him up the stairs and into the second story of the library.

"Can't you tell? The fact that they fight is proof enough that they care about one another."

Cloud shrugged, realizing she had a rather good point. "So, Merlin, how do we go about this?"

The spectacled man, standing by a table on the first floor placed a finger underneath his chin in thought. "I think we should split into pairs, you and Aerith can work together. Yuffie, assist Leon over in the corners over there. And…well…"

Cid snorted loudly, "There's no way in hell I'm gonna work with ya, forget it. I'll start wherever and I'll take my leave when I feel good and happy."

Merlin shot him a glare, "Fine with me, let's get on with it."

And with that said Merlin produced several items to help with the cleaning. Feather dusters, gloves, band-aids for those unlucky enough to get paper cuts, and other assorted things. They spent the better part of an hour simply looking at the books, reading and trying to decipher the titles on the spines of the ancient scripts. Yuffie made sure to put a shuriken in whatever book's place she had removed so she wouldn't have to fret later on when she had to find the correct spot to put it back in. Leon ended up sticking to one spot and reading through several texts on sword fighting techniques, ones that he would eventually modify and adjust to his particular style of fighting. As Cloud removed stacks of books, Aerith would dust, eventually cheating and using low-level Aero spells to clear the grime and dust collecting in the crevices. Cid on the other hand, spent his time cursing and leafing through yellowed pages only to find several ancient blue-prints to ships he could never have imagined.

"There's definitely a lot of interesting things in these books," Yuffie said aloud, her voice reaching everyone's ears. They all nodded to themselves as they continued, one hour turning into two and when Merlin casually mentioned the time to Cid, he was rewarded with a grunt as the blonde went back to his reading. Merlin figured that they could use a little music and conjured a series of stringed instruments, each one magically playing along with each other to an array of songs. As Yuffied worked her way through each shelve, her eyes managed to catch something skittering along the carpeted grounds. With a small gasp, the raven-haired girl brought out a shuriken and positioned herself in a protective stance. Not wanting to bother the rest of her comrades, Yuffie walked towards the end of one bookshelf and disappearing into the shadows. With her trusty weapon in hand, Yuffie prayed silently to the gods of her hometown Wutai and jumped forward with her eyebrows arched at dangerous angles. This time, the skittering sound was followed by the unmistakable cries of a child. The hard look in her face dissolved into curiosity as she let the sounds fill her ears, each one appearing to get louder as she walked.

"_Am I the only one hearing this? Is everyone deaf or what?"_

She closed her eyes momentarily, only to grow to the size of saucer plates the moment they reopened and landed on the image in front of her. Dressed in an oversized white shirt, with the sleeves hanging down to the wrists, was a white-haired little boy. Yuffie didn't know what to do as she stared at the boy, looking no older than 6 or 7 years old. A white pad lay across his right cheek, with speckled drops of what could only be dried blood. Yuffie felt her stomach twist at the sight, wondering where on earth he could have come from and why he appeared hurt.

"Hi-hi little guy, what's your name?" Yuffie asked, her lips turning into a smile. There wasn't a response as the little boy watched her, his large eyes studying her closely. She felt a bit awkward, but didn't let it show on her face as her smile retained itself.

"Where did you come from? Are you lost?"

Once again there wasn't a response and Yuffie was becoming frustrated. She took a step forward, not thinking of what his reaction could be. Immediately he flung himself back against the books with both arms covering his face. Through the gaps Yuffie could see the fear in his eyes and something in her couldn't help but feel sorry for the little guy.

"Hey, I'm sorry, did I scare you? Don't be, my name is Yuffe, you can trust me." She stuck out her hand, hoping that her words sounded sincere. Hesitantly, the boy removed his arms from his face and looked at the outstretched hand.

"You see, there's nothing wrong, I won't hurt you."

He looked her in the eyes once before he walked forward, pressing his small hand into hers. Squeezing gently Yuffie bent down to his level and offered him another smile. "You see? That wasn't so bad was it?"

He shook his head, not a word leaving his lips.

"Do you have a name? Or do you not want to tell me?"

The white-haired boy shook his head furiously.

"Okay, okay, you don't have to tell me, but at least let me see your cheek, you're bleeding."

Waiting for him to flinch, but being met with a calm expression, Yuffie used her fingers to remove the crimson stained pad off his face. She frowned at the sight of a cut, but found that it wasn't to deep. Yuffie touched it gingerly, pulling back when he winced.

"Here, I'll make it a little better."

Holding her hand over his cheek, Yuffie summoned the highest level of Cure, immediately sealing the cut and leaving a thin brown line behind. Letting out a sigh, Yuffie realized that her magic reserves must have been low for it to leave her feeling slightly woozy. Maybe it was Merlin's early morning wake up call that left her magic in such low levels. She felt a weight press against her, with two small arms snaking themselves around her neck and squeezing her hard. Yuffie was startled by the act, but embraced him with a smile spreading across her face.

"…Thank you…"

He spoke. Once he pulled away he grabbed Yuffie by the hand and began walking. Stumbling over her feet for the first few steps, she managed to match his speed as he led her to a dead end where a thin column of books stopped their walk. She looked at the wall of books, wondering what it was he wanted her to see.

"What is it? Is there something here?"

Nodding, the boy walked forward and removed a black book off the shelf, the act causing the shelf to move aside to reveal a small, rectangular wooden box sitting in the shadows. The treasure seeking part in her wanted to suddenly run forward and take a look at what the box held, but realizing that the boy had wanted to show her this on his own meant that it probably belonged to him. Biting her need to look, Yuffie simply waited for him to say or do anything. He pointed at it but said nothing.

"Is that yours? Do you want me to see what's inside?"

Once again he nodded and pulled her inside the small dark space. He kneeled before the box and let go of her hand as he placed his fingers over the wooden lid. As Yuffie looked around the small space she could see a few candles positioned against the walls. Wondering if she had enough magic left, and hoping it wouldn't blow up in her face since she didn't exactly excel in it, Yuffie cast Fire and lit the wicks of the candles. Immediately the space was flooded in light and she could see that there were more than shadows living in there. Drawings, maps, scraps of old cloth were pinned against the walls, each a little piece to add to the boy's collection. That's when she realized what this place was.

"This is your secret area isn't it?"

For the first time, the boy smiled at her and nodded. He then followed by removing the top off the lid to his chest and let it slide onto the floor. Yuffie peered inside, hoping to find something spectacular, but ended up disappointed. The white-haired boy removed a book from within the box and offered it to Yuffie. Blinking a few times, she accepted the object and cradled it in her hands for a few moments.

"It's a book, why how—"

But when she looked up, the boy was gone. An icy feeling crept up her spine, wondering where and how he could have disappeared. With the book still in her hands, Yuffie left the dimly lit area. When she looked back, the wall of books was back, leaving no sign of a secret space. Shaking her head several times before walking back to the main area, Yuffie ran a hand over the cover of the tattered looking book.

"I wonder why he wanted me to see this."

She found Leon still reading, Cid arguing yet again with Merlin, and Cloud sitting down at a table with Aerith, talking in reasonable levels.

"So what if I ripped a couple pages out of the books, it's not like anyone else is going to be needing them," Cid barked.

Merlin's beard did indeed curl this time, "Why you atrocious, rotten piece of owl droppings, how dare you mutilate irreplaceable and priceless texts? I swear on King Arthur himself that I will smite you down!"

And with that said, their hard day of cleaning went up in smoke, literally. None of them had seen Merlin so angry and Cid himself couldn't help but look somewhat fearful. Apologizing beforehand, Cloud knocked Merlin unconscious and picked him up into his arms, leaving Aerith to deal with the burning columns of books.

"I'm taking him back to his room, I'll come back up to help clean afterwards."

Aerith shook her head at him, telling him that it wasn't necessary as the flames died down into white puffs of smoke. "Stay with him. If he wakes up I'm sure he's going to want to come after Cid," she said sending the blonde a stern look.

"What?" Cid retaliated, "So I tore a few blueprints, big freakin' deal."

"They'll never get along," Leon muttered, his eyes still glued to his book. Yuffie heaved a sigh as she sat at the table by the stained glass window. For a split second she forgot she had the book in her hand and she placed it right in front of her. Taking a look around her, and making sure that nobody was paying her any attention, Yuffie opened the cover and let her eyes fall on the sloppily written first page.

"_January 2nd. – The weather has been really cold. I got a new jacket for the winter holidays and new shoes. I don't like school. The other kids make fun of me. They think I'm weird because of the color of my hair. They make fun of me because I am the only one with no mommy or daddy. But Master Ansem tells me that it is okay. He takes real good care of me. I think of him as my daddy."_

Yuffie felt her eyes go wide as she continued reading, each entry making her heart beat even faster.

"_March 17th- I came home from school crying. All the kids were laughing at me today. Ienzo started calling me names and everyone joined him. Mr. Aeleus made him apologize. But I know he didn't mean it. Master Ansem told me that he is jealous because I am smarter. That made me smile._

"_June 23rd –Ienzo and his friends hurt me. I was playing in the courtyard, Master Ansem gave me a new toy and they tried to take it. It's really warm, so the roses are blooming. They threw me in the rose bushes and I cut my cheek. It stings really bad and they took my toy. Why can't I be stronger?"_

Yuffie felt tears sting the edges of her eyes as she read, eventually reading through hundreds of pages as she neared the end. The last entry was marked 8 years after the first, making the boy 14 or 15 years old. The raven-haired girl felt her hands shaking as her eyes read the few, much neater and beautiful writing.

_"January 10—"Today I got accepted into Master Ansem's academy. I have proven myself to the entire class, now nobody laughs or points at me anymore. I will start my new schooling and become powerful through knowledge. Master Ansem tells me that I will eventually become his favorite pupil, but he teases me with such talk. That spoiled brat Ienzo got accepted as well, but that's only because his father is a kiss up and had to make special arrangements with the academy staff. No matter, today is a great day. Today marks my new life into a much greater future."_

Yuffie let go of the book, her hands reaching up to cover her face as tears began leaking down her cheeks. She didn't know why she felt the need to cry, but the salty rivers were proof that the writings that she had read had gotten to her. This was something she was never expecting to see, hear, read, nothing of the sort. Something at her heart wrenched at the thought, her mind refocusing on the image of the little, white haired boy with the amber colored eyes. When she looked up she realized that the room was dark all for the candle left sitting in front of her. She looked through the stained glass window, the night sky twinkling with hundreds of skies. Yuffie didn't know how long she had been sitting there, reading. Everyone was long gone, leaving her sitting in the corner of the room with a treasure right in front of her. Wiping at her eyes, Yuffie got to her feet and began walking in the direction of where she had first met the little boy. She kept going, eventually reaching the wall of books where his secret area lay within. Knowing that she couldn't get to it, Yuffie sat the book down and a smile caressed her lips. She whispered something as she got back up, and walked out the library door. Perhaps Aerith had dinner ready, she definitely could use it.

_"I guess even Xehanort had a childhood, no matter how he turned out."_

_XendX_

**A/N: I have always imagined that Xehanort grew up in Radiant Garden since childhood instead of being discovered by Ansem at some point in time. I can see Ienzo( Zexion ) poking fun at him since I believe they could have been around the same age with Aeleus( Lexaeus ) being a teacher and such. I hope you enjoyed it, I sure did . **


End file.
